“I am Erestor.”
Glorfindel turned with a start. He had been quite sure no one had been in the vicinity, but now an elf stood not very far away behind the bench he and Lindir were on, one hand resting upon a post that was staked into the ground, while the other held a pair of books to his chest. “My apologies for startling you,” he said, remaining where he stood.
“You. You’re Erestor?” Glorfindel looked over the slight figure dressed in dark robes with hair to match. Somehow, he had expected a much younger elf, imagining that his guards had been teasing some youth. “Obviously, then, you see that you’ve put both of us in an odd position.” Lindir tugged a little on Glorfindel’s sleeve, but he stilled the elf’s hand. “I have need to speak with Lord Elrond or I would address the situation now. Perhaps you might see me later in my office, I shall-“
“Captain.” Erestor cut him off curtly, reaching for the walking stick that had been propped up against the post. “I do apologize for my offense. I will be leaving at the week’s end. I had planned to return to Mirkwood before you arrived back from your patrol,” he explained, walking toward the house as he poked the stick in front of him as he went. “I would very much appreciate it if you were to give me a day or two; I shall leave as soon as I am able and then you may tell your unmannered troops whatever you wish. I shall even have a letter written to them with my apology, if you like. I have things I must now do,” he added, having continued past the bench and down a path. “Good day,” he called out as he disappeared.
Sitting with his mouth still open from being interrupted, Glorfindel closed his eyes, shut his mouth, and then looked to Lindir. “Is he... I mean, is he slightly off?”
Lindir bit his lip. “Well, he does keep to himself for the most part. I think it has to do with his being blind, but he-“
“What? Hold, Lindir, go back.” Glorfindel touched the tips of his fingers to his forehead, feeling a headache approaching. “He’s blind.”
“That’s why he has the ca—uh, the walking stick. And the mask.”
“Yes, that did look a little odd,” admitted Glorfindel. “I was going to ask about that, but he just started talking and left me no room to interject.”
“He used to be a general. I think he is used to talking and having people listen to him talk,” surmised Lindir.
Taking one final look down the path, Glorfindel stood up. “Walk with me, Lindir, and tell me what you know of this elf.”
“Well,” he began as they approached the house, “my Naneth told me that he was at that last war, the one against the dark lord. He was one of the Mirkwood elves. When King Oropher made the decision to attack first, the general told his troops to wait. They hesitated but when things went bad they charged in to help. Except General Erestor. He refused to go against King Gil-Galad’s orders.”
“But if he was from Mirkwood, what would it matter what Gil-Galad wanted? Although it was a bad tactic, Oropher’s command should have been heeded,” reasoned Glorfindel.
“My Naneth said it was because he is part Noldorin,” explained Lindir, who had obviously had the same thought as Glorfindel at one time. “When what was left of those from Mirkwood were rallied, Prince Thranduil was upset with General Erestor. He told him please not to come with them on the next attack.” To this, Glorfindel smirked, sure that those could not have been the exact words used. “So General Erestor went to King Gil-Galad, and fought with his troops. When King Gil-Galad was killed, he was right there. The light and the fire blinded him.”
“But he should have healed,” argued Glorfindel. Lindir shrugged as they walked up the main staircase.
Turning down the hallway with Glorfindel, Lindir said, “My Naneth says that, too. She has been helping Elrond to try to find a way to cure him. Nothing works. Sometimes she says it makes it worse. When that happens I know, because she comes home and cries.”
Glorfindel swallowed hard. “So, he was banished from Mirkwood?”
“Nay, he came here after the war. He did go home first. King Thranduil has not banned him. Funny things are said between friends during war, my Adar says.” Lindir stopped when Glorfindel did, outside Elrond’s study. “King Thranduil had healers that tried everything. When Prince Legolas made a visit here, he asked Lord Elrond to see if he could do something for Erestor. So he came here. That was a long time ago. I think he still hopes though or he would have gone back home. He talks to me about Mirkwood sometimes when I am practicing in the halls in the afternoon when no one else is there. I like him,” decided Lindir.
Giving the youth a pat on the back, Glorfindel nodded. “Thank you, Lindir. Off you go, then,” he said, nodding in the direction of a group Lindir’s age whom the lad was friends with. Lindir nodded with a smile and jogged down the hall to catch up with his peers. Glorfindel knocked twice and entered the room.
“Glorfindel. Back so soon?” Elrond stood up from behind his desk, motioning to the couch that he knew his friend and captain favored. “What is the matter?”
“An attack near to our borders.”
“Orcs?”
“Men,” sighed Glorfindel. “They meant to come into the realm and take what they wished. We were able to reason with them, more or less. I have a list of what they are requesting. It seems extravagant.” Glorfindel handed a folded sheet to Elrond as he sat down beside him. “I told them I would see what I could do, but that they asked for much.”
Elrond read through the list a second time. “Times have been hard for some of our neighbors. What they ask for isn’t terribly much. I think we can managed.”
Nodding, Glorfindel knew somehow that Elrond was going to agree to the terms. For obvious reasons, the peredhel had a soft spot for those of the race of men. “With your permission, I will return to the borders once more in the morning.” He began to stand, but was waved back down.
“Hold, Glorfindel. You need not hurry back so fast. I will send a messenger to deliver word to those who are waiting for your answer. Linger here awhile; Erestor has been melancholy as of late. Had I known he was your lover, I would never have assigned you to such extensive tours of duty on the borders.”
Glorfindel managed to make a face of disbelief without Elrond seeing it as the half-elf stood and took the list to his desk. “I was somewhat surprised to have heard of it, but my wife swore to me it was not idle gossip. It isn’t, is it?” Elrond looked over his shoulder momentarily, and Glorfindel smiled best he could. Elrond chuckled and took a clean sheet of parchment, writing a few notes upon it. “It is so good to know he is cared for by someone, considering all thing. He talks so little to me when I see him, but he always joked about no one wanting to be with him because of his disability. I never thought his words to be jokes, but rather, pleas for companionship. He is beautiful to look at, is he not?” Once more, Elrond caught a glimpse of a smile, missing the sad look that had been upon Glorfindel’s face. “If I didn’t have my own hands full...” Elrond chuckled. “Take some time here, Glorfindel. You have earned it. Erestor needs it, I can tell. Spend some time with him- ah! When I stop in the kitchens to have them gather provisions for the men in the forest, I shall ask for dinner to be sent to your rooms with a good bottle of wine. Whose room will you be in?” he questioned.
“Ahm... ah...”
“His, of course,” Elrond decided for himself. “With all your clutter, he’ll walk into something and trip. Worry not, go to him now,” Elrond instructed, practically pushing Glorfindel from his study. “Speak with me in the morning; we shall come up with a better work schedule for you then. Good afternoon, Lord Glorfindel.”
“Good... afternoon,” Glorfindel managed to the closed door. In a daze, he walked to the stairs, looking at the door until it was out of sight. He took himself out of the house, back to the bench, where he sat down, still in shock. It wasn’t until he spied a group of soldiers a little ways off, who saw him and rushed away in the opposite direction that he dropped his head in his hands. “Oh, shit.”
